“You don't have to pretend that I'm not holding you back.” I flick my eyes away and look back down at my hands. “I don't need a pity date because I haven't made any friends yet. I know your sister—”
Dash grabs my chin and forces my eyes back to his. “This has nothing to do with my sister. Yes, she asked me to show you around the other day, but she didn't ask me to babysit you. You're gorgeous, Anna, I'm not just saying that to be nice.”
“Really?”
“Really. So, how long before you're ready?”
“I don't know. Where are we going?”
“How does a movie sound?”
“A movie? What's playing?”
“Anything you want. We don't have to go out to enjoy a movie. I know you've been working your ass off and could use a night to relax. I thought maybe we could get dressed up and have a date-in tonight? What do you think of that?”
I love the idea. I've been on my feet for twelve hours at a time. I have blisters on my feet and the arches ache with every step. A night in sounds amazing.
“I love it. Yes, let's absolutely do that.”
“All right. I'll order us some Chinese, and you can pick whatever movie you want when you're ready.”
“Sounds perfect. I only need about twenty minutes.” I go in my room and grab some clothes then head for the shower.
“Hey!” he yells as I shut the door. “You want anything special to eat?”
“No, I'll eat pretty much anything.”
“I love you already,” he says playfully.
My stomach does a little flip and my heart beats hard as his words push through the door. The edges of my lips curl into a thin smile as I shake my head to myself. He doesn't actually love me. Not like that. I know this, but it doesn't stop my body from reacting.
I shower and blow dry my hair, then slip into a silky pink sundress with a daisy pattern. I opt for no bra. It's a bold decision, but I'm feeling a little frisky. I want to see where this date night at home goes.
Screw it, right? New city, new experiences. This is why I'm here.
Inside I'm excited and nervous. There's a pit in my stomach that's full of butterflies, and I can't stop smiling as I put on a little makeup. A light swipe of pink eye shadow, and a layer of mascara on my eyes make the green pop. A little gloss on my lips and I'm good. Nothing fancy, just enough to feel pretty.
I open the door to find Dash has the lights turned down, and the food spread across the coffee table. The Netflix logo bounces across the screen on the television. He holds out his hand to me. I take it and he spins me in a circle.
“Wow, look at you. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I say. “You're not looking so bad yourself either.”
He flips his collar and gives me a serious look. “I was born this way, baby.”
We both laugh and it feels really good. He's still holding my hand as he leads me into the living room.
“Over here we have a buffet of Boston's best Chinese. I got a little bit of everything. There are chicken wings, fried rice, teriyaki beef, lo mein, all kinds of things. Take your pick. Do you know what you want to watch?”
“I'm not sure. How do you feel about a good horror movie?”
He cocks his head in my direction, his brows lifting high. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Why? Did you expect me to suggest a romantic comedy or something?” I sit on the couch and grab a pair of chop sticks and a paper plate.
“Maybe, but I'm happily surprised you picked my favorite movie genre.” He drops down next to me, opening the two beers on the table and taking a plate and chop sticks for himself. “I've got just the movie then.”
“Oh, do you?”
“Yup. One you've never seen.”
“How do you know if I've seen it or not.”
“I guarantee you haven't seen this one. It's really old. A classic, as the movie buffs say.”
“How old?”
“The sixties.”
“I’m in.” I fill my plate with food as Dash starts the movie.
Black Sunday, a movie made in the sixties about a witch getting revenge. We both sit quietly and eat as we watch this classic scary movie. By the middle, we’re snuggling up together.
Dash’s arm is wrapped around my shoulder, his fingers softly running up and down over the curve of my shoulder. I’m not even focusing on the movie anymore. I’m only focusing on his fingertips.
They touch me so delicately, goosebumps ripple down my arm. He moves a little higher, his fingers sweeping up the side of my neck. I tilt my head, laying it against his arm. With ease, he pulls me in close. I lay my hand across his chest and look up at him.